Inkjet recording apparatuses are apparatuses which spray ink onto a transferred recording medium for recording.
Meanwhile, in an inkjet recording apparatus, when the recording medium is transferred, the recording medium may rub against a guide roll or part of the apparatus to move a charge from one side to the other to cause a potential difference, thereby possibly charging the recording medium with so-called triboelectricity (hereinafter also referred to as “static electricity”).
Then, part of the ink drops sprayed from the recording head may be influenced by that static electricity, thereby possibly causing ink splashes and significantly degrading the accuracy of the inkjet recording.
By contrast, to remove the influences of static electricity in the inkjet recording apparatus, various techniques have been developed.
For example, an inkjet recording apparatus has been known in which a surface potential of a recording sheet on a charge absorption belt is measured by a surface potential measuring means and, in accordance with that measurement result, a control means controls an output voltage of a variable power supply for a brush-shaped electrode, thereby allowing a potential difference between a recording head and the recording sheet to be reduced (for example, refer to PTL 1).
Also, an inkjet recording apparatus has been known in which, in addition to a conductive pattern for causing an electrostatic absorption power, a conductive pattern kept at an approximately same potential as that of a recording head is provided inside a transfer belt, thereby preventing the generation of an electric field between a discharge port of the recording head and a paper sheet (for example, refer to PTL 2). In this inkjet recording apparatus, even if discharged droplets are separated into a main drop and satellites, polarization does not occur therebetween, and the satellites can be directed toward the paper sheet together with the main drop.
Also, a recording apparatus has been known including a setting unit which sets a recording-target medium, a head unit which discharges ink onto the recording-target medium, a transfer roller unit provided between the setting unit and the head unit in a transfer route of the recording-target medium to transfer the recording-target medium, an air blowing unit which blows air onto a recording surface side of the recording-target medium transferred by the transfer roller unit between the transfer roller unit and the head unit, and an ion generating unit provided between the air blowing unit and the recording surface side of the recording-target medium in an air blowing route by the air blowing unit (for example, refer to PTL 3). In this recording apparatus, ions generated by the ion generating unit are delivered to the recording-target medium, thereby allowing a peeling charge by the transfer roller unit which transfers the recording-target medium to be inhibited.